Thursday, November 19, 2009

Superior Court holds that insurance on antique car is subject to provisions of another policy with respect to underinsured motorist benefits

In Boulette v. Safety Ins. Co., plaintiff Scott Boulette was involved in an accident while driving a car owned by his employer and insured by Safety Insurance Company. The other driver was insured by Premier Insurance Company. When the damages exceeded the Premier policy limits, Boulette applied for underinsurance benefits from Safety.

Boulette owned an antique Chevrolet Corvair on which he had insurance from Metropolitan. Boulette purchased the Metropolitan coverage solely so that the Corvair could be registered as an antique and towed to his new residence. He included in his coverage optional bodily injury and medpay benefits, but not optional underinsurance coverage.

Safety denied Boulette's claim for underinsurance benefits because of a policy provision stating, "We will not pay damages to or for anyone else who has a Massaschusetts auto policy of his or her own . . . "

Boulette contended that he could not reasonably be expected to look for underinsurance benefits from a policy covering an inoperable antique car, although he apparently did have the option of purchasing underinsurance benefits from that policy and chose not to do so.

Judge Lemire of the Superior Court agreed with Safety, holding that the plain language of its policy precluded Boulette from recovering underinsurance benefits from it.

1 comment:

SCBS said...

If further research was to be done on this, there would be plain English that the policy stated that anyone who has another policy in their name that has under insurance on it.

The vehicle in question was registered and insured as an antique and was never driven a mile, has never had an inspection sticker and still is not running.

I would like to suggest that the case be looked at a little closer.